Colby Jackson & Matthew Madigan
Location: Colby/Maddy's apartment building -> Orphanage
Skills: N/A
"Yeah, you left it at my place last time you came. It seemed a bit chilly out and it was the closest thing I could grab so we weren't late for your errand." Lies. That was a complete and utter lie. Why couldn't he just tell him how he felt? It didn't matter.
"We should probably get going right?"âYeah. You can borrow it for the day then.â Colby said and led the way to the apartmentâs garage where his old car was parked.
âSorry the car is a bit of a mess. I havenât cleaned it all semester.â He climbed into the driverâs seat. Colby wasnât that great of a driver either, but he could get from point a to point b at least.
"That's not a problem, I'm sure its fine" It wasn't fine. He had moved a few things off of the passenger seat, placing them in the back where he could find a few spots. Most of what was left was at his feet and he just gently nudged it over so he had a modicum of room for his legs.
Once they were both buckled in Colby started driving. He didnât say much but his hands worried over the driving wheel and his face seemed tense as well. He took a deep breath as he debated how much to tell Mathew. Colby opened his mouth to say something and then closed it before asking,
âSo howâs Caroll?âThe silence was nerve-wracking as he watched Colbyâs nervous hands. Was he trying to confess something? Ask him out? Or was this errand really so frightening? He wanted to ask but the words got caught in his throat. Finally Colby started to speak, and of course, it was about his cat. Maddy let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding before speaking up.
"He's fine. Caught him napping on your jacket earlier today. I think he misses you, should come around more often...spend the night maybe...i-I-if you w-want to tha-that is."Colby glanced at Mathew for a few seconds as he stuttered. His eyes softened a bit, then he quickly looked back at the road.
âIt might be easier to study there instead of with my four obnoxious roommates. Maybe Iâll bring up Jack and see if the two get along and play with each other. Itâd be good for them both.âMaddy couldn't help but give out a nervous chuckle.
"Yeah, that could be a lot of fun. I'm sure the two of them would be close buds. Of course, you're also m-more than welcome to do your homework o-over at my place...I don't mind." Play it cool Maddy, he already agreed no need to mess it up. He turned and gave Colby a smile as he thought of him spending the night there.
Colby nodded. His mind was less on the conversation and more on the letter in his pocket. He knew Mathew liked him more than he liked him back, or maybe it was best to say in a different way. And Mathew was an okay dude, though nervous and even though he liked magic Colby knew heâd never be able to be on stage. Mathew wouldnât be able to handle it.
âThanks.â He said back and fell into silence. Colby didnât have to consult any maps or google as he had already looked at the route he would need to get to the orphanage ages ago.
As the pair of them grew closer and closer to Colby's secret destination, Maddy began to have flashbacks of distant memories he has sense tried to repress. The streets, signs, buildings all looked too familiar as his heart began to pound in his chest. He looked onwards, only glancing sparingly towards Colby as he wondered where it was that he was taking them. If it was for the jacket sleeve he had halfway down his hand, surely his nails would've bitten into his skin and caused him to bleed.
The tall building loomed over him as they finally reached it, a place so ominous to Maddy that he could swear he heard the sound of crows in the distance. The building was made of a red brick exterior, accented by wooden black shutters, panes, and roof, with a small white stoop just before the obsidian colored doors. This was the orphanage that Maddy had grown up in, and this was the source of many of his nervous ticks and twitches. The place full of nothing but misery and despair as far as he was concerned.
Colby exited the car and stared at the building before them. He had no memories tied to the place. For him, it had been a shortstop between barely held memories and a fairly normal childhood. His jaw tightened and then he said.
âI was adopted from here.â He said a slight tone of anger in his voice.
âI just found out after I turned eighteen.âMaddy remained in the car for a moment after Colby left, fear still clinging to his chest. He finally found the courage to get out when he heard Colby speak, saying he had just found out he was adopted from this place. Was he the friend from the letter? It all just kept adding up. But why come back here?
"I'm...I'm so sorry. H-honestly I-I was a b-bit worried as to w-why we're here. See I...IâŚ" the words choked up in his throat again as tears threatened to well up in his eyes.
"I g-g-grew up here. T-till I w-was eighteen."Colby shifted as Mathew spoke, concern crossed his expression proving Colby was capable of human emotions.
âI didnât know.â He said softly.
âIf you donât want to go in, I understand. You can stay in the car. I just want to see if they have records on who my real parents are.âMaddy ran over to where Colby stood and took his hand into his, holding it tightly.
"No, I'll go with you. I'm here for you, heh s-see didn't even stutter." He beamed another smile at Colby as he held tight.
Colby blinked a little startled when Mathew took his hand but nodded. There wasnât much need to say anything else he thought. Then he started walking inside. He had not seen the interior of the orphanage to his memory and wasnât certain if there was an office or something. There had to be but it wasnât like he knew where it was.
Inside of the orphanage, there was a younger woman who was sitting at the receptionistâs desk when she stopped and looked up at both Maddy and Colby who just entered. âIs there anything I can help you two with?â She asked.
Maddy shrunk behind Colby, his hand still holding on as he gently pushed Colby forward, nudging him to speak.
âHello, my name is Colby Jackson. I was adopted from here, uh. When I was two, so sixteen years ago. I was wondering if you had records on my birth parents.â Colby spoke up first not wanting Mathew to feel like he needed to talk. He had taken a half step closer almost protecting him from the woman.
She nodded towards them and started to type away at her computer, as well as Colbyâs name as she searched the database. âLooking at the file here, there isnât much other than a stranger dropping you off here, didn't give us a name or anything sorry.â
âOh. Thank you though. I appreciate you looking.â He looked to Mathew, almost asking if he wanted to ask the woman anything as well. He squeezed his hand slightly giving him encouragement if he needed it. As he tried to parse what that all meant. He had no more lead here. What did that mean for the letter writer? Where they the unnamed stranger who had dropped him off as a toddler?
Maddy stayed behind Colby, using him as a shield as he spoke through him.
"H-h-hi I'm M-Matthew Madigan. I-I g-grew up here a-as well. I-I left three years ago w-when I turned eighteen, d-do you have any r-records on my parents?"She nodded and started to type in again with Mathewâs name and leaned back a little bit as she searched through the database again. When the results came again she looked up at the two of them for a moment. âSadly nothing on your parents either, but you were dropped off at around the same time though.â
âThank you.â Colby said for both of them. The confusion was clear on his face, but he figured the woman couldnât help them anymore. He led Mathew out of the orphanage at that point and back to his car. He didnât say anything else until they were both in his car again.
âOkay...that canât be normal right?â He asked Mathew.
Maddy shook his head no, as he sat there and debated on whether he sure try one last time, for old times sake. It was the one sentence he could always say without so much as a stutter.
"Hey Colby...Why is a Raven like a writing desk?" He sat there and watched his expressions to see if he knew.
âCause Poe wrote on both.â Colby said the joke response almost reflexively. He knew it was a reference and was actually supposed to be unanswerable. At least it had been in the Alice books, but a lot of people had come up with responses. This was his favorite. Colby looked at Mathew a little confused though.
âNot sure what it has to do with us both having been dropped off at the same orphanage, around the same time, by some mysterious stranger.â Colby frowned.
âI have something to show you. It is why I cam here.âMaddy frowned as Colby responded. He had heard that response before, same tone and said word for word. He didn't know how, but somehow he knew that deep inside of him that answer was wrong. It wasn't what he was searching for. Maddy pulled out his wallet and fiddled with it for a while before finally breaking the silence.
"Show me yours and I'll show you why I asked."Colby nodded and pulled the slightly beat-up letter from his jacket pocket. He handed it over to Mathew.
âI got this today. I hadnât told anyone I was adopted and my parents didnât tell me until just a few months ago. So, as far as I know, three people...well four now, know I was adopted.â"Thanks for trusting me with knowing this." He fiddled with the letter, feeling the same texture as the parchment used for the one he'd gotten earlier today as well. His heart began to race once more as he hesitated opening it. Instead, he slipped out a small bit of paper, stark white even after all these years with vibrant green ink writing on it. It simply asked, "Why is a raven like a writing desk." He handed it over to Colby.
"You're the only one besides my manager who knows I'm an orphan. This note was hidden away inside the hat they had found me with, the only thing I have linking me to my life before. No oneâs been able to answer this riddle and I justâŚ"His eyes began to well up again as he wiped away tears and shook his head. Itâs been three years since he left and that place still had a vice on him. Maddy opened up the letter and began to read it over and over again as if he was going Mad.
Taking the white piece of paper from Mathew, it felt like the paper was important. Maybe that was just everything Mathew had put into it over the years trying to decipher the impossible riddle. Colby stared at the writing. It didnât match the writing in his letter. As Mathewâs eyes teared up Colby wished he had some tissues in the car, but he did find a towel, which he offered to Mathew. Then waited as Mathew read over the letter.
âYou know Lewis Caroll. Oh, I just got your catâs name is a reference to that. So you probably already know but when Caroll wrote the book he never had an answer for that riddle. It was supposed to be unanswerable.â He said after a moment to fill the silence.
Maddy took the towel and wiped his eyes, not even wondering where that thing had been nor how long it had been there. He sniffled a few times.
"Yeah...but...I just know there's an answer out there and I have a feeling my parents would know it. But every time I ask I get the same response." He held onto the letter and gripped it tighter before finally laying it on his lap and pulling his out of his pant pocket.
"I got one too...the letter. At first, I thought it was you, it was signed your friend and I just...but it couldn't be so now I don't knowâŚ"Colbyâs eyes widened when Mathew pulled the letter out of his pocket. He thought âway to burry the leadâ, but bit the comment back. He wasnât mad at Mathew and he didnât deserve the snap even though he knew it would feel good. Colby breathed through his teeth then let it out before saying
âOkay, so we were both dropped off at the same orphanage by some mysterious stranger about fifteen years ago. Now we both have letters claiming our bio parents are out there alive and need our help. I-â He paused uncertain of where he was going with this thought process. There were a few options.
âObviously we have to go to the park. Neither of us are in trouble so we donât have to go early, but this person is clearly watching the park. I vote we go to the park and see who is watching it.âMaddy nodded his head in agreement. He held out his left hand towards Colby.
"Mind if I have my note back? And...mind if I hold your hand on the way there?" his hand was visibly shaking in fear and anxiety that was bubbling inside. This was not how he had planned for his day to happen, but here he was in Colby's car going to meet a stranger in a park.
Colby handed the note back.
âI guess since we are admitted deep truths about ourselves. I really suck at driving and donât know how I feel about driving with one hand, but as long as Iâm not making turns it should be okay.â Today had not gone how he had expected, though Colby was certain at this point he was going to be ditching his class. What were the odds that he had made friends with the one person who lived in his apartment building, was dropped at the same orphanage as a child as him and had gotten a letter from some mysterious stranger? He wasnât fantastic at math, but it had to be astronomical. How much of his life had been set up by this stranger? Colby had to admit he did feel a kindred nature with Mathew and that was why he had spoken to him in the first case.
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